


What You Don't Do

by HeemaWren



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 11:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8889829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeemaWren/pseuds/HeemaWren
Summary: Yuri doesn’t want to admit Victor gives good advice, but he doesn’t want to be left with any regrets either.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My first work for YOI! I apologize for any OOCness, but I love these two too much not to give it a shot. Part of a writing challenge between myself and [shipofthetongue](http://shipofthetongue.tumblr.com/). The prompt was "regret" and we were supposed to stay under 1500 but we both failed. Maybe next time. Her half of the challenge is [here!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8850172%22)

_ “You know, Yurio, you’ll only ever regret the things you didn’t do!” _

Yuri scowled, shoving his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket as he stalked through the airport. It was crowded and noisy and he’d already taken the wrong turn three times -- the last thing he needed was Victor’s unwarranted “advice” swimming around in his head.

He could still recall the revolting lovesick smile adorning the older skater’s face as he slurred the words. He’d been staring dreamily at his new husband, who had been dragged onto the dance floor by his best man.

_ “You’ll find someone special to you too, someday,” _ Victor told him.  _ “When that happens, make sure you don’t let them go!” _

_ “Shut up, old man. You’re drunk.” _ Yuri had slumped back in his chair, downing a glass of champagne he wasn’t supposed to have. He didn’t want to indulge in Victor’s ridiculous romanticism. He didn’t even want to think about finding his “special someone.”

And now, more than anything, he didn’t want to admit that Victor had been  _ right. _

Unbeknownst to him, Yuri already  _ had _ found that special someone by the time their conversation had occurred. The tension in his posture began to ebb as the face in his mind’s eye morphed from a merry, tipsy Victor to a more stoic, taciturn visage; one that reserved tiny smiles just for him.

_ Otabek. _

Yuri pulled the hood of his jacket over his face in a poor attempt to hide the blush creeping up his neck. His best friend -- his  _ only _ friend, really -- was certainly special enough from the start, but it took Yuri an inordinate amount of time to realize that his feelings had evolved beyond the realm of friendship. Now every look, every touch, every exchange was overanalyzed to the extreme and it was driving him up the wall. He barely knew how friends worked in the first place -- how was he supposed to know how  _ more than friends _ worked?

He rounded another corner, his pace quickening with his heartbeat. He couldn’t keep it to himself any longer. He wanted to tell Otabek -- he  _ had _ to tell him -- and had been meaning to for the entire season. But the season was over, and it’d be months upon months until he even saw his friend again. He’d had a million and one chances, but had always managed to conjure up an excuse at the last minute not to.

What if it was totally one sided? What if it destroyed their friendship? What if Otabek _ hated _ him after finding out the truth?

_ What the hell’s wrong with me? _ Yuri thought, his scowl returning at full force.  _ I’m acting like the stupid pig. _ A niggling feeling in the back of his head reminded him that at least the Japanese Yuri had managed to admit  _ his _ feelings.

Yuri gnashed his teeth together, now thoroughly pissed off at the idea of losing to the other Yuri again. He nearly stomped right past the very terminal he was searching for, until an unmistakable dark figure caught his eye in one of the waiting areas. Otabek was adorned in all black as usual, with the sole exception of a cheetah print scarf wrapped around his neck -- the very same one Yuri had lent him months ago, and had never gotten back. His heart had hammered against his ribcage the first time he watched his friend put it on, and now was no different.

It was all the motivation he needed.

“Oi, Beka!”

Otabek looked up from his phone, peering around before locking eyes with Yuri. To anyone else, he might have looked stone-faced as usual, but Yuri had been his best friend for years. He could see the minute expressions cross over his features: confusion, surprise, and finally, the most subtle of smiles. Yuri fought to keep his own expression neutral as Otabek said something to his coach, then made his way over.

“Hey.” His greeting seemed cold and terse, but Yuri heard all the unspoken questions that laid beneath:  _ Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be on your plane right now? Is everything alright? _

“Flight got delayed.” Yuri explained brusquely. He shifted his weight, his cold and clammy hands staying stubbornly stuffed in his pockets. “I gotta talk to you.”

Otabek raised a brow. “About?”

“Not  _ here,” _ Yuri hissed. He hastily scanned the area, then grabbed his friend’s wrist and dragged  him over to an unpopulated area behind a large column. It was the closest thing to privacy he could find on such short notice, but it’d have to do.

They stood in silence for a long moment, Yuri hoping Otabek wouldn’t notice just how loudly his heart was beating. Silence wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for the two of them, but normally it was a comfortable, mutual silence. Now the knowledge that something left unsaid hung over them like a storm cloud, and the normally tranquil stillness was anything but.

“What did you want to talk about?” Otabek asked. Yuri must’ve stayed quiet for a  _ long _ time for his friend to be the one to speak first. He grit his teeth, reminding himself that this was his last chance. Otabek’s flight would be boarding soon, and he’d have to wait until next season to see him again.  _ You’ll only regret the things you didn’t do. _

“Beka, listen, I…” Yuri chanced a look at Otabek’s eyes and immediately regretted it. The curiosity, the concern, the naked  _ affection _ reflected there were all plain as day to Yuri. His courage wavered. Could he really risk losing one of the most important people in his life to some stupid romantic feelings?

“We’ve been friends for a while, and I… I wanted you to know--”

_ Just fucking say it! _ Yuri balled his hands into fists, hood covering his face as he stared down at the spot between their feet. Why was he so nervous? He could handle worldwide televised skating events with no problem, but couldn’t talk to his best friend? It was just a few simple words. He could do it. He had to do it.

“The truth is… I--”

He couldn’t do it.

“--I-I’m gonna miss you!”

His face flooded with heat as soon as the words left his mouth. It wasn’t the confession he’d had in mind, but it was no less true and just as embarrassing. He crossed his arms defensively, peering up from under the cowl of his hood, challenging his friend to make fun of him for the admission.

To his credit, Otabek didn’t laugh at him, though Yuri didn’t honestly expect him to. He tried to decipher the fleeting expressions crossing his friend’s face -- and for once, he failed. Was it disappointment he saw there? Relief? Happiness? Disbelief? All of the above? He had no clue.

“I’ll miss you too.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t--wait, what?”

“I said I’ll miss you too.” Otabek’s hands found their way to his pockets as well. For once, he looked uncertain. “Is that bad?”

“Wh--No!” Yuri shouted. “That’s--I mean, I said I’d miss you, didn’t I? So it’s not like I don’t want you to miss me. I mean--I don’t  _ want _ you to miss me. I mean I do, but it’d be better if we could see each other.”

_ What the hell am I saying? _ Yuri squeezed his eyes shut and leaned back against the column, wishing the heat would dissipate from his face. “It sucks that you’re so far from Moscow.”

“It’s not that far,” Otabek said. “Victor and Yuri were much farther away and they made it work.”

“Ugh, did you have to mention those two? Just hearing their names makes me wanna--” Yuri stopped mid-sentence as the implication of Otabek’s words hit him. He looked up at his friend, wide-eyed. “Did you just compare  _ us _ to--?”

Otabek met his gaze evenly, pink dusting his cheeks.. “Am I wrong?”

Yuri’s world came crashing down around him. There were so many implications, so many things he could be interpreting wrong. He wanted to ask a thousand questions, wanted to make sure he wasn’t about to royally screw up everything they’d worked so hard to achieve as friends -- but above all chaos whirling in his head, the memory of Victor’s voice rang out loud and clear.

_ You’ll only ever regret the things you didn’t do! _

Yuri pulled Otabek down by the collar and kissed him.

The kiss was rough and awkward, and probably had more nose-on-nose action than mouth-on-mouth, but the moment Otabek’s arms found his waist, Yuri couldn’t bring himself to care about anything else. It lasted only a moment, and then Yuri was back to staring in disbelief.

“How long?” he demanded.

“Longer than I care to admit.” Otabek offered a rare smile, looking almost apologetic.

“You should’ve said something!” Yuri declared, willfully ignoring his own failures at conveying his feelings.

“I was going to surprise you and visit Moscow this summer,” Otabek confessed. “I planned to do it then.”

“You were going to come visit and you let me say all that mushy crap?!” Yuri roared, the wide grin on his face completely betraying his ferocious tone. He aimed a playful punch at his arm. “You asshole!”

“ _ Your _ asshole,” Otabek replied. He hesitated a moment, then added, “if you want me to be, that is.”

Yuri’s face lit up ten shades of scarlet. “O-Of course I want you to be! Don’t be stupid!”

An announcement came over the speakers, followed by a pack of passengers rising from their seats and moving to gather around the gate.

Otabek frowned. “That’s my flight.”

“Yeah,” Yuri said. He tried to hide his disappointment, but failed miserably. He finally got what he wanted, and it was just in time to say goodbye. Maybe he should’ve waited after all.

But then Otabek tilted his chin up, pressing another kiss to his lips. It was soft and gentle and lingering, saying all the things that Otabek didn’t.  _ I don’t want to leave. I can’t wait to see you again. _

_ I love you. _

“I’ll see you in a couple months,” he said instead.

“Yeah.” Yuri licked his lips; he had a feeling they wouldn’t stop tingling from contact anytime soon. “Um. Hug?”

Otabek smiled again, not hesitating to pull Yuri into a tight hug that nearly knocked the wind out of the blond skater’s lungs. Yuri squeezed back as much as he could, though he couldn’t match the sheer power of the other. They released each other reluctantly, their footsteps sluggish as they parted ways.

Yuri watched the plane depart before starting the long trek back to his own terminal. He checked the clock on his phone as he walked -- still another hour until his flight arrived. He halted his footsteps, hesitantly flicking through menus and typing out a single text that he was sure he’d regret later. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and continued on, his fingers unable to leave his lips.

_ Hey, Victor. Thanks. _


End file.
